Red Rock Canyon is located about 25 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip. From the Strip and Downtown Las Vegas, the Conservation Area can be approached from Charleston Boulevard, which will turn into SR 159. Or from the south, take Blue Diamond Rd/SR 160 west to the Junction with Route 159. Follow SR 159 until you see the entrance signs. If using a navigation system, use "1000 Scenic Loop Drive, Las Vegas, NV" as your address.

Unfortunately there are no public transportation services that can take you from Las Vegas to Red Rock Canyon. Most visitors drive their own vehicles or rent a vehicle to enjoy Red Rock Canyon. Shuttle service is not available around the Scenic Drive.

Alternatively, you can take a guided outfitting tour that will pick you up from your hotel, drive you around Red Rock Canyon, and bring you back to your hotel. To see a list of companies that provide this tour, look under "Guided Commercial Tours" on this link.

Taxis and ride-sharing companies, please read this important transportation information. Be aware that there is no cell phone service within Red Rock Canyon so you will want to schedule your pick-up time and location prior to being dropped off.

Red Rock Canyon features a one-way 13-mile scenic drive, a Visitor Center which offers information and interpretation about recreation opportunities, wildlife, vegetation, geology, and cultural resources, a selection of outdoor picnic areas, a wide variety of hiking trails, and much more.

Inside our Visitor Center, you can find a book and gift store operated by Southern Nevada Conservancy, a non-profit organization with the mission of researching and sharing interpretive information about Red Rock Canyon and assisting the BLM with endeavors related to interpretation.

The Scenic Drive hours vary with the seasons. For the opening and closing times during your planned visit, please scroll to the bottom of this webpage or call 702-515-5350.  The Visitor Center and Elements Book and Gift Store open at 8:00am and close at 4:30pm. Please check the news items on the home page for potential closures on holidays.

A Conservation Area is an area of federal public land set aside
"In order to conserve, protect and enhance [the area] for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations ....."

In 1990, special legislation supported by the Nevada congressional delegation, declared the Red Rock Canyon area of southern Nevada to be a National Conservation Area [NCA], the seventh to be designated nationally. As stated in its enabling legislation:

"In order to conserve, protect and enhance for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations the area in southern Nevada containing and surrounding the Red Rock Canyon and the unique and nationally important geologic, archeological, ecological, cultural, scenic, scientific, wildlife, riparian, wilderness, endangered species and recreation resources of the public lands therein contained, there is established the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area."

To conserve, protect and enhance includes the following guidelines:

Keep Wildlife Wild

Feeding any wildlife is prohibited. It is not in the best interest of any wild creature to wean them from their natural food supplies. 'Too easy' a lifestyle for our desert dwellers may cause overpopulation and turns them into dangerous creatures as they lose their fear of humans.

Leave No Trace

During your visit, pick up trash around campgrounds and trails. Your actions will inspire other park visitors. Our dry desert climate cannot quickly decompose such things as orange peels, apple cores, egg shells, and other picnic remains. Loose paper blows into bushes and creates an unsightly mess. Plastic 6-pack rings may strangle creatures that encounter and investigate them. Dispose of your trash in a responsible manner and recycle what you can. Trash bags, donated by Friends of Red Rock Canyon, are available at the Fee Booth.

Parking

The Scenic Drive is one-way 13-mile, winding road, and has soft sand shoulders. Park in one of the many designated pullouts or parking lots.

Off-road Driving

Vehicles, including bicycles, are prohibited off established roads. Why? Off-road driving and riding creates ruts upsetting delicate drainage patterns, compacting the soil, and leaving visual scars for years. Plants are crushed and uprooted, wildlife homes and shelters are destroyed, and food and water supplies are altered and obliterated.

Pets

While pets are allowed in the Conservation Area, their activities are quite restricted. They must be kept on a leash at all times, they must never be left unattended - not even in a vehicle. Do keep in mind that the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to unsafe levels. Please pick up after your pets and dispose of properly.

Potable [Drinking] Water

Water is available at the Elements store inside the Visitor Center. There is also a vending machine and a drinking fountain in the Visitor Center parking lot. Other, mostly seasonal, water sources within the park are not potable [not fit for drinking] and are reserved for wildlife.

Take only pictures

Over 1.25 million people visit Red Rock Canyon each year. Removal, disturbance, destruction, or disfigurement of anything in the conservation area is unlawful. Please leave rocks, plants, and wildlife for others to enjoy.

Vehicle Laws

The scenic drive is narrow, winding and is sometimes congested. Speed limits vary from 15-35 mph and are posted for your safety and well-being. State and federal laws apply within the Conservation Area.

Southern Nevada Conservancy is a not-for-profit organization that operates under a Cooperating Agreement with the BLM, whose mission is to create opportunities to discover, understand, and enjoy your public lands.

The primary purpose of Southern Nevada Conservancy is to enhance the recreational, educational and interpretive programs of the Bureau of Land Management, and other governmental agencies, by providing materials and services which promote an understanding and appreciation of the natural history, cultural history, and sciences of Southern Nevada.

BLM [Bureau of Land Management] Mission Statement:

It is the mission of the Bureau of Land Management to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area offers camping at the Red Rock Canyon Campground [formerly 13-Mile Campground]  located approximately 2 miles east of the Visitor Center on State Route 159. Barbecue grills, picnic tables, trash collection, water tank and pit toilets are available.

For more information, please follow this link: Camping Info

Bicycles are allowed on the one-way Scenic Drive, paved spur roads, and designated mountain bike trails. Bikes are not allowed on designated hiking trails. Motor vehicle regulations for bicycles apply while in the Conservation Area. The Cottonwood Valley Area has a system of trails designated for mountain bike and equestrian use. Motorized vehicles are limited to designated roads.

Off-highway driving in the National Conservation Area is limited to designated roads. Drivers traveling off designated roads are subject to fines. Roads open for off-highway recreation are multi-use: please be aware of other recreational user groups. Follow "Tread Lightly" motorized vehicle guidelines. Opportunities for off-highway vehicle touring are as follows:

Rocky Gap Road

An extremely rough, four-wheel drive road open to use by licensed and street legal vehicles. Expect narrow road conditions with numerous washouts. Not recommended for passenger cars or other low clearance vehicles. Preparation and caution are recommended. This route not patrolled or maintained.

Cottonwood Valley

An undeveloped area that features several unpaved routes. Be prepared for washouts and sandy areas. Watch for mountain bikers and equestrians.

Pets are allowed in the Conservation Area and along trails. They must be kept on a leash at all times and they must never be left unattended - not even in a vehicle. Do keep in mind that the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to unsafe levels. Please pick up after your pet and dispose of waste properly.

Southern Nevada Conservancy and the Bureau of Land Management do offer guided education programs. To see a list of our scheduled programs, click here.

Additionally, there are commercial outfitting guides that offer guided vehicle tours, hikes, bicycle tours, scooter tours, horseback rides, and rock climbing tours. To see a list of these companies and to get more information, click here.

Groups larger than 15 people or vehicles must apply for a Special Recreation Permit. Applications for these permits must be submitted at least 180 days before your group event. For more information or to apply for a Special Recreation Permit, please vistit the "Fees and Passes" drop-down menu item on the Bureau of Land Management's website.

Yes, the Bureau of Land Management has a permitting system that allows people to hold their wedding ceremonies at Red Rock Canyon. Weddings are allowed at the Red Spring Picnic Area and the Red Rock Overlook. To obtain a permit or learn more about the wedding registration process, click here and look under "Weddings".

Yes, visitors can fly drones for recreational purposes at Red Rock Canyon. Please do not disturb wildlife or visitors while flying your drone.

Visitors are prohibited from launching and landing drones and other unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in Red Rock Canyon's Wilderness Areas (La Madre Mountain Wilderness Area & Rainbow Mountain Wilderness Area).

The Las Vegas Soaring Club also has flying space nearby. To find out more information, please visit  www.lvsoaringclub.org

Yes! If you are a school group or other organized group, please contact Janis Kadlec at (702) 515-5380. More teacher and parent resource can be accessed by visiting the Bureau of Land Management's website and clicking "For Teachers".

To view volunteering opportunities at Red Rock Canyon, visit Volunteer.Gov and search "Red Rock Canyon."

The Bureau of Land Management Volunteer Coordinator can be reached at 702-515-5350

Additionally, Friends of Red Rock Canyon has volunteer opportunities. Contact information is listed below.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (702) 515-5360

Yes, we do. Please call 702-515-5350 to see if your item has been turned into our lost & found.

Red Rock Canyon's scenic vistas are inspiring to both amateur and professional photographers. Most visitors take snapshots of their visit. This type of photography is considered casual or personal use and does not require a film permit.

Still photography requires a film permit when one or more of the following situations apply:

• Use of models or props which are not part of a site’s natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities are involved.
• Family or wedding portraits taken by professional photographers would be considered use of “models” as would products placed at the site.
• Props include reflectors, bounce cards, sound booms, or similar equipment.
• If such photography takes place at locations where members of the public are generally not allowed.
• If it occurs where additional administrative costs are likely, such as providing on-site management and oversight to protect agency resources or minimize visitor use conflicts.

Commercial still photography (photographs of scenery or wildlife) for magazine articles, books, calendars, postcards, etc., does not require a film permit if none of the above criteria apply. This includes photographs that may have products or models superimposed on them later.

In regard to filming within Red Rock Canyon, visitors do not require a permit for filming activities unless the recording is considered commercial filming, which is a recording of a person, business, or other entity for a market audience with the intent of generating income.

Photography permits (still or film) need to be acquired in advance. Please call (702) 515-5381, or (702) 515-5000, to start the photography permit application and to find out permit costs.